A Lil’ Bit of Momentum Is Building for Devin Nunes to Get Canned From the House Intelligence Committee

Republican California Rep. Devin Nunes is in the soup again! This time, it’s a New York Times report which says that the Senate Intelligence Committee has concluded that the House Intelligence Committee, of which Nunes is chair, leaked an arcane bit of Russia-investigation evidence to Fox News that, when taken out of context, was briefly embarrassing to Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner. The Times says that even the Republican chair of Senate Intel, North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, was peeved:

Senator Richard M. Burr of North Carolina, the committee’s Republican chairman, and Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat, were so perturbed by the leak that they demanded a rare meeting with Speaker Paul D. Ryan last month to inform him of their findings. They used the meeting with Mr. Ryan to raise broader concerns about the direction of the House Intelligence Committee under its chairman, Representative Devin Nunes of California, the officials said.

Burr is denying the substance of the Times report; CNN’s Manu Raju reports, though, that even if Burr is telling the truth (rather than simply trying to save face) other Republicans are plenty suspicious of Nunes themselves:

Burr is being categorical in his denial of this, but that doesn't mean many in Senate don't suspect Nunes of being behind the leak of Warner texts. They may not have concluded he leaked it, but GOP and D sens don't trust Nunes and some suspect he did. https://t.co/gOxWEm9SHm

Nunes is compromised by his partisanship. He must step down or be forced to step down immediately. Not getting rid of his presence on this committee sends a clear message to other politicians and to either side’s base voters that this type of behavior is okay. We cannot tolerate this behavior, however, because of the nature of the intelligence committee’s job.

Meet the Press host Chuck Todd then went so far as to call Nunes’ handling of House Intel “a mess.”

When someone who embodies the ostentatiously objective, assiduously nonpartisan school of Beltway journalism as much as Todd does is willing to call you a “mess,” the soup is starting to get pretty hot. As Todd notes, though, one service of great value that Nunes provides to the Republican Party is being willing to channel Donald Trump’s talking points—and wishes regarding the direction of the House’s Russia inquiry—from a position of (ostensible) independence. This mess could well continue for some time.